Law enforcement by country
Encyclopedia
In many countries, particularly those with a federal system of government, there may be several police or police-like organizations, each serving different levels of government and enforcing different subsets of the applicable law.
the most important law enforcement organisation is the Policia Federal Argentina
(with a jurisdiction and organization similar to the FBI in the USA) with jurisdiction in all Argentine territories. Argentina is a Federal Republic divided into 23 provinces and one federal district, and as a result the provincial police (equivalent to state police in the United States) carries out most routine police work, except in the capital city of Buenos Aires (the federal district), where the Policia Federal Argentina assumes the role of the local police.
or the Tasmania Police
. The Australian Federal Police
are responsible for policing duties in the Australian Capital Territory, and investigating crimes relating to federal criminal law (particularly crimes with an international dimension) nationwide.
(RBPF) is the main agency tasked with maintaining local law and order in the country of Barbados
. The police force may in times of need call upon the Barbados Defence Force
(BDF) and/or Regional Security System
for additional support.
, the Brazilian Federal Highway Police
and the Brazilian Federal Railroad Police
. Each state has Military Police/Polícia Militar
and Civil Police/Polícia Civil. Despite their names, the Military Police are public order police, and the Civil Police investigative police. Lastly, more than 400 cities have Municipal Guards. The armed forces have their own provost services
.
, all criminal law (including the Criminal Code of Canada
) falls under federal jurisdiction, but policing is a provincial responsibility. However, there is a national police force known as the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
, which is tasked with enforcing certain federal laws throughout the country, as well as anti-terrorism duties. They also perform domestic counter-espionage with the assistance of CSIS. Additionally, eight of the ten provinces choose to employ the RCMP under contract as their provincial police force rather than establishing their own police services; the exceptions are Ontario
and Quebec
. Newfoundland has retained the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary for limited use, but still uses the RCMP for the majority of its provincial policing. In most provinces individual towns and cities are allowed, or required, by law to set up their own local police forces to provide policing inside their communities. Those municipalities (approx. 300 in total) who do not have their own police forces instead will contract either the RCMP (with the federal government absorbing some of the cost) or their provincial force to police the community.
, civilian police is mainly done by the People's Police
, also known as the Public Security Bureau
or PSB (Chinese: 公安局 Gonganju), although the paramilitary
police, the People's Armed Police
, is still prominent. The People's Police is in the administration is Ministry of Public Security
, and the People's Armed Police is under the joint administration of China
's People's Liberation Army
and the Ministry of Public Security.
is the Policie ČR, charged with making arrests, investigating crimes, ensuring road and highway security, and other standard policing tasks. Directed by the Policejni Prezident, who holds a rank of colonel
or general
, Policie officers hold ranks similar to those of the military. At the municipal level, city police (Městská policie) are funded and directed locally. Sizes of local forces vary and officers have only limited law-enforcement powers, such as traffic enforcement; they cannot make arrests and must call on the national police to handle serious problems.
The main law enforcement agency is the Police of Denmark
(da: Politiet), under the Danish Ministry of Justice
, including 12 common police districts, the state nationwide police force Rigspolitiet
, the national intelligence service Politiets Efterretningstjeneste
and the special tactical forces Politiets Aktionsstyrke
. Further more a Danish military police branch (da: Militærpolitiet) and Danish home guard unit Politihjemmeværnet
exists.
Law enforcement in Finland
is under the jurisdiction of the Finnish Police. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is a national unit tasked with "crime prevention and
provision of expert services."
is a federal republic
of sixteen states
. Each of those states has its own police force (Landespolizei). Each is supervised by the Minister (or, in Bremen
, Hamburg
and Berlin
, the Senator) of Internal Affairs of the state.
In addition, the federal government has two police agencies, called the Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Investigation Bureau or BKA) and Bundespolizei
(Federal Police or BPOL). Until 2005, the BPOL was called Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Protection), but after expanded competence in the 1990s and the abolition of border controls in the European Union, its name was changed.
) operate under local legislations and Hong Kong Basic Law
and within the traditional constabulary concept of preserving life and property, preventing and detecting crime and keeping the peace. For times of emergency the force has a paramilitary
capability. The Commissioner of Police
reports to the Secretary for Security
, who is responsible for all disciplined services
in Hong Kong.
(Lögreglan and Ríkislögreglan) is Iceland's police force which is under the Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical affairs. The National Commissioner is the overall commander, but he answers to the minister. The police is divided into districts. Iceland also has a Customs police force (Tollgæslan) which is under the Ministry of Finance. Icelandic policemen generally do not carry firearms, instead they carry telescopic batons and pepper spray
.
The National Commissioner has a Special operations unit
which is called Víkingasveitin.
has numerous law enforcement agencies. At the federal Union
level, the agencies are part of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, and support the states in their duties.
Since the federal nature of the Constitution of India mandates law and order as a subject of the state, therefore the bulk of the police lies with respective States and union territories
. Bigger cities also operate metropolitan police, also under the state. All senior police officers in the police as well as in the federal agencies are members of the Indian Police Service
.
Brimob (Brigade Mobil or the mobile brigade) is a specialized force which was heavily armed and function as a security stabilization force at emergency situation, riot control and VIP or vital facilities security. Gegana is a branch of Brimob with special duties of anti-terrorist operation and dangerous material or explosive ordnance disposal.
is a functional organization made up of police officers from all over the world, serving mostly under the direction of the United Nations
, to help train, recruit, and field police forces in war torn countries. The force is usually deployed into a war torn country initially acting as the police, and bringing order. In the process, they recruit and train a local police force, which eventually takes on the responsibilities of enforcing the law and maintaining order, whereas the International Police then take on a supporting role. To date, International Police forces have been deployed to East Timor
, Haiti
, Kosovo
, Bosnia
, Iraq
, Afghanistan
, Sudan
, Liberia
, Croatia
, and Macedonia
, among others.
An Garda Síochána operates a number of specialist units including the Mounted Unit, GASU (Garda Air Support Unit, consisting of a BN-2A aircraft as well as two helicopters operated by the Irish Air Corps from Casement Aerodrome
) and the Special Detective Unit in addition to the ERU.It has a central command and control system for major city area's. Uniformed Gardaí wear stab-proof body armour and carry expandable ASP batons, handcuffs and pepper spray all recently introduced by the new Garda Inspectorate. Up to recently the Gardai policed with just a light wooden baton .
(MAGAV), which has its own elite counter-terrorist units, as well as the Civil Guard ("Mishmar Ezrahi") made up of volunteers.
(gendarmerie
), the Polizia di Stato
(national police
) and the Guardia di Finanza
(customs police, border police and financial police); are the main forces. There are also the Corpo Forestale dello Stato
(forestry police); Polizia Penitenziaria
(prison service
).
There are also Polizia Provinciale
in all of the 109 provinces of Italy
, and Polizia Municipale
in every comune
.
The Carabinieri
and Guardia di Finanza
are organized as a military force. In recent years, Carabinieri
units have been dispatched all over the world in peacekeeping missions, including Kosovo
, Afghanistan
and Iraq
.
is the primary law enforcement agency in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
. The police is directed by the Luxembourgian Minister for Justice, although they operate in the name, and under the ultimate control, of the Grand Duke
. There had previously been a Minister for the Police Force. The Grand Ducal Police has existed in its current form since 1 January 2000, when the Grand Ducal Gendarmerie was merged with the police. The Grand Ducal Police is responsible for ensuring Luxembourg's internal security, maintaining law and order, and enforcing all laws and Grand Ducal decrees. It is also responsible for assisting the military
in its internal operations, as prescribed by the Grand Duke.
Police in Japan
are an apolitical body under the general supervision of an independent agency, the National Police Agency
, and free of direct central government executive control. They are checked by an independent judiciary
and monitored by a free and active press
. The police are generally well respected and can rely on considerable public cooperation in their work.
organization in South Korea
and is run under the Ministry of Public Administration and Security
. As a national police
force it provides all policing services throughout the country. This differs from the situation in many countries including France
, where policing is split between the National Police and Gendarmerie, and between countries such as the United States
which have a layered system of National, State/Regional and/or local Law Enforcement organizations.
The NPA is headquartered
in Seoul
and is divided into 14 local police agencies, including the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
. Local police agencies are not independent of the national police. There were 96,000 police officers .
The Royal Malaysian Police
or Polis Diraja Malaysia in Malay
is a main branch of security forces in Malaysia. Established on March 25, 1807, the force is a centralized organization that has a gamut of roles that ranges from traffic control to intelligence. Its headquarters is located in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur
and divided into 14 state police, including two on East Malaysia consist of Sabah State Police and Sarawak State Police. During the emergency period, the force is a major security forces to track down the communists.
The force has seven departments, which consist of 2 tasked on police management and logistic with 5 tasked for multi-crimes prevented, intelligence and security service. The riot control
force known as Federal Reserve Unit
makes up part of the police force.
In addition to the Federal Reserve Unit, the Police maintains 2 paramilitary divisions: the General Operations Forces, which includes the Senoi Praaq
which grew out of the Emergency Jungle Squads, and the special force: the Pasukan Gerakan Khas
(Special Operations Force), which includes the VAT 69 Police Commandos and UTK. VAT 69 commando battalion is the special force based on by SAS
for fight against the communist threats and the Special Action Units (Malay: Unit Tindakan Khas), which is modelled on SWAT teams for dangerous crimes prevented and close protections. Besides, the force also created the maritime police special forces known as Police Combat Diving Unit or Unit Selam Tempur, who tasked the security of Straits of Malacca, Sulu Sea
and South China Sea
from the piracy activities and terrorism.
The Rakan Cop
is the Malaysian community police which was launched in 2006.
Mexican law enforcement agencies, vary from state to state but usually have the hierarchy mentioned below:
police is called Sûreté Nationale. It is tasked with upholding the law
and public order. It works alongside the Gendarmerie Royale.
of the Judiciary
.
are charged with enforcing law in New Zealand. They are a single national police force with a broad policing role (community safety, law enforcement & road safety). New Zealand police officers do not normally carry firearms, although access to firearms is available when circumstances dictate. Specialised units of the New Zealand Police such as the Armed Offenders Squad
, a SWAT
type unit and the Special Tactics Group
are also operational for different scenarios that might arise. New Zealand Police works with other government agencies and non-government groups to achieve the best safety outcomes for all New Zealanders.
national police force is subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and Police
. The Politiet is divided into 27 regional police departments and seven nation-wide special departments. In total the force has about 11.000 employees, with the Oslo
police precinct, as the largest, accounting for 2300.
Officers of Politiet usually do not carry firearms, making the force one of the few unarmed police organizations in the world. They are instead armed with telescopic batons and pepper spray
.
is under the control of each province
. Only capital city
police are an exception, and is under federal government
control with its own setup. A separate traffic police
force is for managing traffic. In Punjab a counterterror unit eliteforce
was created in 1998.
force in Perú
is called Policía Nacional del Perú or PNP (official site, in Spanish). They are the state police force, but serve many of the same roles in the cities that local police forces assume in other countries, such as traffic control
at intersections. Peruvian cities (or Lima
-area districts) each have their own Serenazgo forces, which perform patrol duties like a neighborhood watch
and call upon the PNP as needed. There is more information for tourists on how to deal with the Peruvian police forces if necessary in the wikitravel page on Perú.
(PNP) or by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Neighborhood policing is done by the local community police, or barangay police. Some areas frequented by foreigners have tourism police officers.
:
There are also other smaller specialized police services, like the Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica (ASAE - Food and Economic Safety Authority), the Polícia Marítima (Maritime Police), the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF - Foreign and Border Service) and the polícias municipais (municipal polices).
are called милиция (militsiya
). This change of name started at the Russian Revolution
via a Communist political idea of "replacing the capitalist
police by a people's militia
"; but the name "militsiya" has persisted after the Communist system collapsed.
The standard Russian police baton
is made of rubber. In some areas however wooden batons are used because the winter cold makes rubber
brittle
. The normal service uniform is grey with red piping and hat band. Fur hats and heavy greatcoats are worn in winter.
The Singapore Police Force
(Abbreviation: SPF) is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police.
is the responsibility of the Slovenian National Police force, which is composed of 11 police directorates.
is responsible for providing policing services to the public of South Africa at 1115 police stations, divided across nine provinces.
has taken security duties around the island.
(in Swedish
: Polisen) is a national police force under the Ministry of Justice
. It is divided into the National Police Board (Rikspolisstyrelsen) and 21 regional police departments corresponding to the Counties of Sweden
. The National Police Board is divided into the National Criminal Investigation Department (Rikskriminalpolisen) and SÄPO
, or Säkerhetspolisen, the Swedish Security Service
.
The police officers are always armed with a 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun, a telescopic baton and a can of pepper spray
.
is mainly the responsibility of the 26 cantons, although both federal and local police forces also exist.
ese police is a national police force. It has an elite
Special Forces
unit known as the Thunder Squad
. It is trained for dealing with dangerous and high-risk missions, as well as counter-terrorism
due to the potential military threat from the People's Republic of China
.
Police are subdivided into several region
s and services, each enjoying their own powers.
responsible only for policing the civilian population. Provost
services are provided by the Military Police . The Turkish Coast Guard
is also branch of the Armed Forces, responsible for search and rescue
and maritime
border protection
. The National Intelligence Organization
is responsible for internal security. Some limited local law enforcement is carried out by village guards
.
is called the People's Police
. It answers to the Ministry of Public Security
.
The majority of law enforcement in the United Kingdom
is carried out by the 52 territorial police forces, each of which covers a 'police area' (a particular region) and has an independent police authority
. These forces have their grounding in the Police Act 1996
, which prescribes a number of issues such as appointment of a Chief Constable
, jurisdiction and responsibilities.
There are also four special police forces that have a specific, non-regional jurisdiction - the British Transport Police
, Civil Nuclear Constabulary
, Ministry of Defence Police
and Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency.
There are a number of miscellaneous constabularies that have escaped police reform, mostly having their foundations in old legislation. These have a responsibility to police specific local areas, such as ports and parks.
Lastly, there are a number of government bodies that are not police forces but still enforce laws. People employed by these bodies, such as the Marine and Fisheries Agency and UK Border Agency
, enjoy limited powers of detention and search, but generally cannot make full arrests.
Over the centuries there has been a wide variation in the number of police forces in the United Kingdom, with a large number now no longer in existence. See List of former police forces in the United Kingdom for these. With the exception of the Ministry of Defence Police
, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary
and the Police Service of Northern Ireland
the majority of British police are never routinely armed, relying on an extendable baton
instead and special armed units are called in only when necessary. Uniquely in Britain, there are police forces of Crown Dependencies such as the Isle of Man
and States of Jersey
& Guernsey
, who have police forces that share resources with the UK police, whilst having a separate administration within their own governments.
In the United States, the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
and other federal agencies such as the United States Secret Service
, US Marshals
, United States Park Police
, United States Capitol Police
, and the United States Pentagon Police
are limited to the enforcement of federal laws and usually specialize in certain crimes or duties, but do enforce some state laws. Most crimes constitutionally fall under the jurisdiction of state police
or the thousands of local police forces. These include county police
or sheriff
's departments as well as municipal or city police forces. Many areas also have special
agencies such as campus police, railroad police, housing police, or a district or precinct constable.
Argentina
In ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
the most important law enforcement organisation is the Policia Federal Argentina
Policía Federal Argentina
The Policía Federal Argentina is a police force of the Argentine federal government. The PFA has detachments throughout the country, but its main responsibility is policing the Federal District of Buenos Aires...
(with a jurisdiction and organization similar to the FBI in the USA) with jurisdiction in all Argentine territories. Argentina is a Federal Republic divided into 23 provinces and one federal district, and as a result the provincial police (equivalent to state police in the United States) carries out most routine police work, except in the capital city of Buenos Aires (the federal district), where the Policia Federal Argentina assumes the role of the local police.
Australia
The majority of policing work is carried out by the police forces of the six states that make up the Australian federation, such as the New South Wales Police Force, the Victoria PoliceVictoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
or the Tasmania Police
Tasmania Police
Tasmania Police is the police force of the Australian state of Tasmania. Established in 1899, the force has over 1,200 officers policing Tasmania's population of about half a million people.-Structure:...
. The Australian Federal Police
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police is the federal police agency of the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the AFP was created by the amalgamation in 1979 of three Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, it traces its history from Commonwealth law enforcement agencies dating back to the federation of...
are responsible for policing duties in the Australian Capital Territory, and investigating crimes relating to federal criminal law (particularly crimes with an international dimension) nationwide.
Austria
Law enforcement in Austria was fundamentally reorganised in 2005 when the former law enforcement bodies, i.e., the public security constabulary, the criminal investigation service and the gendarmerie were consolidated and organized into nine federal police commands.Barbados
The Royal Barbados Police ForceRoyal Barbados Police Force
The Royal Barbados Police Force , as outlined by the Constitution of Barbados is a part of the government responsible for local law enforcement. The Commissioner of the Police force is Darwin Dottin, who also served as the last president of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police...
(RBPF) is the main agency tasked with maintaining local law and order in the country of Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. The police force may in times of need call upon the Barbados Defence Force
Barbados Defence Force
The Barbados Defence Force is the name given to the combined armed forces of Barbados. The BDF was established August 15, 1979, and has responsibility for the territorial defence and internal security of the island. The headquarters for the Barbados Defence Force are located in the St...
(BDF) and/or Regional Security System
Regional Security System
The Regional Security System is an international agreement for the defence and security of the eastern Caribbean region.The Regional Security System was created out of a need for collective response to security threats, which were impacting on the stability of the region in the late 1970s and...
for additional support.
Belgium
The majority of policing work is carried out by the local police forces. The Federal Police are responsible for policing and investigating crimes relating to federal criminal law (particularly crimes with an international dimension) nationwide.Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Bosnian Police consists of two different Police entities, the Federation and the Republika Srpska Police, Bosnia also has its Counter Terrorism Agency SIPA.Brazil
There are three federal police services: the Brazilian Federal PoliceBrazilian Federal Police
The Polícia Federal is the federal police force of Brazil subordinate to the Ministry of Justice, whose main assignments are the investigations of crimes against the Federal Government or its organs and companies, the combat of international drug trafficking and terrorism, and immigration and...
, the Brazilian Federal Highway Police
Brazilian Federal Highway Police
The Brazilian Federal Highway Police is a federal law enforcement agency, subordinate to the Ministry of Justice, whose main function is fighting crime on Brazilian federal roads and highways, as well as monitoring and supervising vehicular traffic, although it has also taken on duties that go...
and the Brazilian Federal Railroad Police
Brazilian Federal Railroad Police
The Brazilian Federal Railroad Police or Federal Railway Police is a police agency founded in 1852 which is responsible for patrols and security on federal railways in Brazil.- History :...
. Each state has Military Police/Polícia Militar
Polícia Militar
In Brazil, the Military Police are preventive state police forces responsible for maintaining public order within the States and the Federal District, and are subordinate to the state governments...
and Civil Police/Polícia Civil. Despite their names, the Military Police are public order police, and the Civil Police investigative police. Lastly, more than 400 cities have Municipal Guards. The armed forces have their own provost services
Provost (military police)
Provosts are military police whose duties are policing solely within the Armed Forces, as opposed to Gendarmerie duties in the civilian population. However, many countries use their gendarmerie for provost duties....
.
Cambodia
The National Police of Cambodia (Nokorbal Chéat) is Cambodia's police force which is under the Ministry of InteriorCanada
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, all criminal law (including the Criminal Code of Canada
Criminal Code of Canada
The Criminal Code or Code criminel is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is "An Act respecting the criminal law"...
) falls under federal jurisdiction, but policing is a provincial responsibility. However, there is a national police force known as the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, which is tasked with enforcing certain federal laws throughout the country, as well as anti-terrorism duties. They also perform domestic counter-espionage with the assistance of CSIS. Additionally, eight of the ten provinces choose to employ the RCMP under contract as their provincial police force rather than establishing their own police services; the exceptions are Ontario
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
and Quebec
Sûreté du Québec
Sûreté du Québec or SQ is the provincial police force for the Canadian province of Québec...
. Newfoundland has retained the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary for limited use, but still uses the RCMP for the majority of its provincial policing. In most provinces individual towns and cities are allowed, or required, by law to set up their own local police forces to provide policing inside their communities. Those municipalities (approx. 300 in total) who do not have their own police forces instead will contract either the RCMP (with the federal government absorbing some of the cost) or their provincial force to police the community.
China (People's Republic of China)
In ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, civilian police is mainly done by the People's Police
Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Public Security , is the principal police and security authority of the mainland of the People's Republic of China and the government agency that exercises oversight over and is ultimately responsible for day-to-day law enforcement...
, also known as the Public Security Bureau
Public Security Bureau
In the People's Republic of China, a public security bureau refers to the government offices while the smaller offices are called Police posts which are similar in concept to the Japanese Kōban system) present in each province and municipality that handles policing , public security, and...
or PSB (Chinese: 公安局 Gonganju), although the paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
police, the People's Armed Police
People's Armed Police
The People's Armed Police , officially Chinese People's Armed Police Force is a paramilitary or gendarmerie force primarily responsible for civilian policing and fire rescue duties in the People's Republic of China, as well as provide support to PLA during wartime.In contrast to public security...
, is still prominent. The People's Police is in the administration is Ministry of Public Security
Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Public Security , is the principal police and security authority of the mainland of the People's Republic of China and the government agency that exercises oversight over and is ultimately responsible for day-to-day law enforcement...
, and the People's Armed Police is under the joint administration of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
and the Ministry of Public Security.
Czech Republic
The main law enforcement agency in the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
is the Policie ČR, charged with making arrests, investigating crimes, ensuring road and highway security, and other standard policing tasks. Directed by the Policejni Prezident, who holds a rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
or general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
, Policie officers hold ranks similar to those of the military. At the municipal level, city police (Městská policie) are funded and directed locally. Sizes of local forces vary and officers have only limited law-enforcement powers, such as traffic enforcement; they cannot make arrests and must call on the national police to handle serious problems.
Denmark
Police of Denmark
The police of Denmark is the interior part of the Danish legitimate force providers...
(da: Politiet), under the Danish Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice of Denmark
Ministry of Justice of Denmark is the Danish government ministry responsible for the general judicial system, including the police and the prosecution service, the courts of law, and prisons and the probation service...
, including 12 common police districts, the state nationwide police force Rigspolitiet
Rigspolitiet
Rigspolitiet is the state national police force of Denmark. Administered by a framework of laws dictated by the Folketing and the government's Minister for Justice, Rigspolitiet polices all regions governed by Denmark, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland.-Leadership:Rigspolitiet is...
, the national intelligence service Politiets Efterretningstjeneste
Politiets Efterretningstjeneste
Politiets Efterretningstjeneste is the national security intelligence agency of Denmark...
and the special tactical forces Politiets Aktionsstyrke
Politiets Aktionsstyrke
Politiets Aktionsstyrke is the special forces unit of the Danish police.AKS is a national SWAT unit. It is meant to handle extraordinarily difficult or life-threatening criminal situations, such as terrorism, hostage situations, and kidnapping. It also deals with emergency rescue situations that...
. Further more a Danish military police branch (da: Militærpolitiet) and Danish home guard unit Politihjemmeværnet
Politihjemmeværnet
Politihjemmeværnet is a Danish Home Guard unit, which can support the Danish police in various tasks.-Operation:The Danish police can call upon the assistance from a section of the Danish home guard; the police home guard...
exists.
Estonia
Law enforcement in Estonia is carried out by sections of the Estonian Police.Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
is under the jurisdiction of the Finnish Police. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is a national unit tasked with "crime prevention and
provision of expert services."
Germany
GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
is a federal republic
Federal republic
A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. A federation is the central government. The states in a federation also maintain the federation...
of sixteen states
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
. Each of those states has its own police force (Landespolizei). Each is supervised by the Minister (or, in Bremen
Bremen (state)
The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is the smallest of Germany's 16 states. A more informal name, but used in some official contexts, is Land Bremen .-Geography:...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, the Senator) of Internal Affairs of the state.
In addition, the federal government has two police agencies, called the Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Investigation Bureau or BKA) and Bundespolizei
Bundespolizei
Bundespolizei is German for Federal Police and may refer to:*Federal Police *Federal Police...
(Federal Police or BPOL). Until 2005, the BPOL was called Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Protection), but after expanded competence in the 1990s and the abolition of border controls in the European Union, its name was changed.
Greece
The Greek Police Force is the police force of the Hellenic Republic. Tourism Police are an integral part of the Hellenic Police (ELAS), consisting of men and women specially trained and competent to offer tourists information and help, whenever they have any problems. They are trained in resolving minor differences between tourists and commercial enterprises. They all speak foreign languages, including English. They are distinguished by a shoulder badge displaying Tourism Police on their uniforms.Hong Kong, China
The Hong Kong Police ForceHong Kong Police Force
The Hong Kong Police Force is the largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. It is the world's second, and Asia's first, police agency to operate with a modern policing system. It was formed on 1 May 1844, with a strength of 32 officers...
) operate under local legislations and Hong Kong Basic Law
Hong Kong Basic Law
The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, or simply Hong Kong Basic Law, serves as the constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China...
and within the traditional constabulary concept of preserving life and property, preventing and detecting crime and keeping the peace. For times of emergency the force has a paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
capability. The Commissioner of Police
Commissioner of Police (Hong Kong)
The commissioner of police heads the Hong Kong Police Force and reports to the secretary for security.-Chiefs of the police force:The commissioner is the current head of the Hong Kong Police.*Chief magistrates**1841 – Captain William Caine...
reports to the Secretary for Security
Secretary for Security
The Secretary for Security is the member of the Hong Kong Government in charge of the Security Bureau, which is responsible for public safety, security, and immigration matters....
, who is responsible for all disciplined services
Hong Kong Disciplined Services
The Hong Kong Disciplined Services are made up of six official uniformed forces subjected to disciplined regulations under the law. The Independent Commission Against Corruption is considered as the de facto seventh force....
in Hong Kong.
Iceland
The Icelandic National PoliceIcelandic Police
The Icelandic National Police is the main police force of Iceland. It is responsible for law enforcement on all Icelandic territories except at sea where the Icelandic Coast Guard enforces the law. The two services assist each other as needed.- History :...
(Lögreglan and Ríkislögreglan) is Iceland's police force which is under the Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical affairs. The National Commissioner is the overall commander, but he answers to the minister. The police is divided into districts. Iceland also has a Customs police force (Tollgæslan) which is under the Ministry of Finance. Icelandic policemen generally do not carry firearms, instead they carry telescopic batons and pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
.
The National Commissioner has a Special operations unit
Víkingasveitin
Víkingasveitin , officially Sérsveit ríkislögreglustjórans , is Iceland's elite counter-terrorism unit, specializing in various types of armed and unarmed infantry combat. It is in many ways modeled on the Norwegian Delta counter-terrorist unit with which it conducts many exercises, both in Norway...
which is called Víkingasveitin.
India
IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
has numerous law enforcement agencies. At the federal Union
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
level, the agencies are part of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, and support the states in their duties.
Since the federal nature of the Constitution of India mandates law and order as a subject of the state, therefore the bulk of the police lies with respective States and union territories
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
. Bigger cities also operate metropolitan police, also under the state. All senior police officers in the police as well as in the federal agencies are members of the Indian Police Service
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
.
Indonesia
Indonesian national police is also known as Polri or Polisi Negara Republik Indonesia. Its organization divided into provincial police, city or district police and sub-district police with centralized line of command.Brimob (Brigade Mobil or the mobile brigade) is a specialized force which was heavily armed and function as a security stabilization force at emergency situation, riot control and VIP or vital facilities security. Gegana is a branch of Brimob with special duties of anti-terrorist operation and dangerous material or explosive ordnance disposal.
International Police
The International PoliceInternational Police
The International Police is the title used for an organization of police officers representing various countries throughout the world, brought together to assist in the training, organization, stabilization of a destabilized region, or creation of indigenous police forces primarily in war-torn...
is a functional organization made up of police officers from all over the world, serving mostly under the direction of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, to help train, recruit, and field police forces in war torn countries. The force is usually deployed into a war torn country initially acting as the police, and bringing order. In the process, they recruit and train a local police force, which eventually takes on the responsibilities of enforcing the law and maintaining order, whereas the International Police then take on a supporting role. To date, International Police forces have been deployed to East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, and Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, among others.
Ireland (Republic of)
The Irish Police force, An Garda Síochána, translates to "Guardians of the Peace". All routinely uniformed officers are unarmed. The Emergency Response Unit (ERU), which is comparable to SWAT or CO19 and operates a variety of weapons and non-lethal devices suchas Tasers. All Gardaí (Police Officers) who train as detectives carry a sidearm.An Garda Síochána operates a number of specialist units including the Mounted Unit, GASU (Garda Air Support Unit, consisting of a BN-2A aircraft as well as two helicopters operated by the Irish Air Corps from Casement Aerodrome
Casement Aerodrome
Casement Aerodrome or Baldonnel Aerodrome is a military airbase to the south west of Dublin, Ireland situated off the N7 main road route to the south and south west. It is the headquarters and the sole base of the Irish Air Corps, and is also used for other government purposes...
) and the Special Detective Unit in addition to the ERU.It has a central command and control system for major city area's. Uniformed Gardaí wear stab-proof body armour and carry expandable ASP batons, handcuffs and pepper spray all recently introduced by the new Garda Inspectorate. Up to recently the Gardai policed with just a light wooden baton .
Israel
The Israeli Police (Mishteret Yisra'el) is the police force for the State of Israel. It is headed by the commissioner Rav-Nitzav Dudi Cohen and falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security. The Israeli Police has a military corps called the Border GuardIsrael Border Police
The Israel Border Police is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav , meaning border guard, whilst its members are colloquially known as Magavnikim . Border Guard is often used as the official name of the...
(MAGAV), which has its own elite counter-terrorist units, as well as the Civil Guard ("Mishmar Ezrahi") made up of volunteers.
Italy
Law enforcement in Italy is carried out by different agencies. On a national level, five police forces operate. The Arma dei CarabinieriCarabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
(gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
), the Polizia di Stato
Polizia di Stato
The Polizia di Stato is one of the national police forces of Italy.It is the main police force for providing police duties and it is also responsible for patrolling motorways , railways , airports , customs as well as certain waterways, and assisting the local police...
(national police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
) and the Guardia di Finanza
Guardia di Finanza
The Guardia di Finanza is a Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. Like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guard is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's...
(customs police, border police and financial police); are the main forces. There are also the Corpo Forestale dello Stato
Corpo Forestale dello Stato
The State Forestry Corps is a national police agency in Italy.It was established on 15 October 1822 by Charles Felix of Sardinia as "Amministrazione forestale per la custodia e la vigilanza dei boschi".An agency under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the CFS acts...
(forestry police); Polizia Penitenziaria
Polizia Penitenziaria
The Polizia Penitenziaria is a law enforcement agency in Italy.Subordinate to the Italian Ministry of Justice, the Polizia Penitenziaria operate the Italian prison system as corrections officers. It ensures the security of Italian prisons, keeping unauthorized people out and preventing escape by...
(prison service
Corrections
In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies and involving the punishment, treatment, and supervision of persons who have been convicted of crimes....
).
There are also Polizia Provinciale
Polizia Provinciale
In Italy, the polizia provinciale is a general term used to identify provincial-level police forces. Each Italian province can by statute have its own police force , but most of them have not instituted one for lack of fundings or because it is deemed "not necessary"; most of the...
in all of the 109 provinces of Italy
Provinces of Italy
In Italy, a province is an administrative division of intermediate level between a municipality and a region .-Overview:...
, and Polizia Municipale
Polizia Municipale
The polizia municipale are the municipal police of Italy responsible to the mayors of the various municipalities of Italy and are usually limited to performing public order duties...
in every comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
.
The Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
and Guardia di Finanza
Guardia di Finanza
The Guardia di Finanza is a Italian law enforcement agency under the authority of the Minister of Economy and Finance. Like the Carabinieri, it is part of the Italian Armed Forces. The Guard is essentially responsible for dealing with financial crime and smuggling; it has also evolved into Italy's...
are organized as a military force. In recent years, Carabinieri
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...
units have been dispatched all over the world in peacekeeping missions, including Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Luxembourg
The Grand Ducal PoliceGrand Ducal Police
The Grand Ducal Police is the primary law enforcement agency in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The police is under the control of the Minister for the Interior of Luxembourg, although they operate in the name, and under the ultimate control, of the Grand Duke. Day-to-day executive control is...
is the primary law enforcement agency in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. The police is directed by the Luxembourgian Minister for Justice, although they operate in the name, and under the ultimate control, of the Grand Duke
Grand Duke of Luxembourg
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the sovereign monarch and head of state of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815, when it was elevated from a duchy when placed in personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. There had previously been a Minister for the Police Force. The Grand Ducal Police has existed in its current form since 1 January 2000, when the Grand Ducal Gendarmerie was merged with the police. The Grand Ducal Police is responsible for ensuring Luxembourg's internal security, maintaining law and order, and enforcing all laws and Grand Ducal decrees. It is also responsible for assisting the military
Military of Luxembourg
The Luxembourg Army is the national military of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has no navy, as the country is landlocked, or air force, although it does have aircraft. The Luxembourg Army was integrated into the Force Publique which included the Gendarmerie and the Police. The Gendarmerie was merged...
in its internal operations, as prescribed by the Grand Duke.
Japan
Police in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
are an apolitical body under the general supervision of an independent agency, the National Police Agency
National Police Agency (Japan)
The is an agency administered by the National Public Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office in the cabinet of Japan, and is the central coordinating agency of the Japanese police system....
, and free of direct central government executive control. They are checked by an independent judiciary
Judicial system of Japan
In the judicial system of Japan, the postwar constitution guarantees that "all judges shall be independent in the exercise of their conscience and shall be bound only by this constitution and the Laws"...
and monitored by a free and active press
Japanese media
The communications media of Japan include numerous television and radio networks as well as newspapers and magazines in Japan. For the most part, television networks were established based on the capital contribution from existing radio networks at that time...
. The police are generally well respected and can rely on considerable public cooperation in their work.
Republic of Korea
The National Police Agency, or NPA, is the only policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
organization in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and is run under the Ministry of Public Administration and Security
Ministry of Public Administration and Security
Ministry of Public Administration and Security is a ministry of the national government of South Korea. The ministry is in charge of the civil and domestic affairs in South Korea including the National Police Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency....
. As a national police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
force it provides all policing services throughout the country. This differs from the situation in many countries including France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where policing is split between the National Police and Gendarmerie, and between countries such as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which have a layered system of National, State/Regional and/or local Law Enforcement organizations.
The NPA is headquartered
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and is divided into 14 local police agencies, including the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is the primary police force for the South Korean capital city of Seoul, and is one of 13 provincial police forces in the country, and is headquartered along with the National Police Headquarters in the city itself...
. Local police agencies are not independent of the national police. There were 96,000 police officers .
Malaysia
The Royal Malaysian Police
Royal Malaysian Police
The Royal Malaysia Police is a part of the security forces structure in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organization with responsibilities ranging from traffic control to intelligence gathering. Its headquarters is located at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur. The police force is led by an...
or Polis Diraja Malaysia in Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
is a main branch of security forces in Malaysia. Established on March 25, 1807, the force is a centralized organization that has a gamut of roles that ranges from traffic control to intelligence. Its headquarters is located in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and divided into 14 state police, including two on East Malaysia consist of Sabah State Police and Sarawak State Police. During the emergency period, the force is a major security forces to track down the communists.
The force has seven departments, which consist of 2 tasked on police management and logistic with 5 tasked for multi-crimes prevented, intelligence and security service. The riot control
Riot control
Riot control refers to the measures used by police, military, or other security forces to control, disperse, and arrest civilians who are involved in a riot, demonstration, or protest. Law enforcement officers or soldiers have long used non-lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds...
force known as Federal Reserve Unit
Federal Reserve Unit
The Federal Reserve Unit , or better known by the abbreviation as FRU was established as a riot control forces and a special response team as well as a paramilitary that can be deployed regardless of time to engage on any emergency or public unrest that happens in Malaysia.-Role:The main role of...
makes up part of the police force.
In addition to the Federal Reserve Unit, the Police maintains 2 paramilitary divisions: the General Operations Forces, which includes the Senoi Praaq
Senoi Praaq
The Senoi Praaq is a unit of the Royal Malaysian Police made up almost entirely of the tribal people of Peninsular Malaysia known as the Orang Asli . The name Senoi Praaq means “war people” or “those who fight” in the Semai language...
which grew out of the Emergency Jungle Squads, and the special force: the Pasukan Gerakan Khas
Pasukan Gerakan Khas
The Pasukan Gerakan Khas is an elite high-profile counter-terrorism and special operations tactical unit of the Royal Malaysia Police...
(Special Operations Force), which includes the VAT 69 Police Commandos and UTK. VAT 69 commando battalion is the special force based on by SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
for fight against the communist threats and the Special Action Units (Malay: Unit Tindakan Khas), which is modelled on SWAT teams for dangerous crimes prevented and close protections. Besides, the force also created the maritime police special forces known as Police Combat Diving Unit or Unit Selam Tempur, who tasked the security of Straits of Malacca, Sulu Sea
Sulu Sea
The Sulu Sea is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago. Borneo is found to the southwest and Visayas to the northeast.Sulu Sea contains a number of...
and South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
from the piracy activities and terrorism.
The Rakan Cop
Rakan Cop
Rakan Cop is the Malaysian community police corps which was launched by Royal Malaysian Police in Kuala Lumpur on August 9, 2005 to help combat crime in the city and any situations around Malaysia.-External links:**...
is the Malaysian community police which was launched in 2006.
Mexico
Most police forces in Mexico can be classified into two general types based on their primary function. They tend to operate as policia judicial (judicial police) or policia preventiva (preventive police). The basic difference being that the policia judicial are usually under the administration of the judicial branch of government (i.e., judges, attorneys general, etc.), whereas the policia preventiva tend to be administered by legislative or executive branches of government (i.e., mayors, or city councils). Historically, the judicial police would investigate crimes that have already occurred, and preventive police would focus their efforts on preventing crimes (by active presence on the streets and random patrols). In recent decades these differences have been blurred considerably.Mexican law enforcement agencies, vary from state to state but usually have the hierarchy mentioned below:
- Agencia Federal de Investigación (Federal Investigations AgencyFederal Investigations AgencyThe Federal Investigations Agency was a Mexican federal agency that existed to fight corruption and organized crime, through an executive order by President Vicente Fox Quesada. The AFI replaced an earlier agency, the Federal Judicial Police...
) - Mexican FBI - Policía Federal Preventiva (Federal Preventive PoliceFederal Preventive PoliceThe Federal Police , formerly known as the Policía Federal Preventiva , are the uniformed federal police force of Mexico...
) - Agencia Estatal de Investigación (StateStates of MexicoThe United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
Investigations Agency) - Policía Estatal Preventiva (StateStates of MexicoThe United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
Preventive Police) - Policía Municipal Preventiva (MunicipalMunicipalities of MexicoMunicipalities are the second-level administrative division in Mexico . There are 2,438 municipalities in Mexico, making the average municipality population 45,616...
Preventive Police)
Morocco
The MoroccanMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
police is called Sûreté Nationale. It is tasked with upholding the law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and public order. It works alongside the Gendarmerie Royale.
Netherlands
The Dutch police is a government agency charged with upholding the law and public order and providing aid. It is also the investigation service for the Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of the Judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
.
New Zealand
The New Zealand PoliceNew Zealand Police
The New Zealand Police is the national police force of New Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout New Zealand...
are charged with enforcing law in New Zealand. They are a single national police force with a broad policing role (community safety, law enforcement & road safety). New Zealand police officers do not normally carry firearms, although access to firearms is available when circumstances dictate. Specialised units of the New Zealand Police such as the Armed Offenders Squad
Armed Offenders Squad
The Armed Offenders Squad is a specialist unit of the New Zealand Police designed to "cordon, contain and appeal to" armed and dangerous offenders. As the name explains, they are called upon when conflict with an armed offender has occurred or is considered imminent.The AOS draw upon a varied...
, a SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
type unit and the Special Tactics Group
Special Tactics Group
The Special Tactics Group , formerly known as the Anti-Terrorist Squad, is the full-time tactical and counter-terrorism group of the New Zealand Police....
are also operational for different scenarios that might arise. New Zealand Police works with other government agencies and non-government groups to achieve the best safety outcomes for all New Zealanders.
Norway
The NorwegianNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
national police force is subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and Police
Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police is a Norwegian government ministry in charge of justice, police and domestic intelligence. The main purpose of the Ministry is to provide for the maintenance and development of the basic guarantees of the rule of law...
. The Politiet is divided into 27 regional police departments and seven nation-wide special departments. In total the force has about 11.000 employees, with the Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
police precinct, as the largest, accounting for 2300.
Officers of Politiet usually do not carry firearms, making the force one of the few unarmed police organizations in the world. They are instead armed with telescopic batons and pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
.
Pakistan
The police in PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
is under the control of each province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
. Only capital city
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
police are an exception, and is under federal government
Federal government
The federal government is the common government of a federation. The structure of federal governments varies from institution to institution. Based on a broad definition of a basic federal political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and...
control with its own setup. A separate traffic police
Traffic police
Traffic police or Traffic cops may refer to:*Police controlling traffic, see rules of the road*Traffic Cops, a BBC real-life documentary*Highway patrol*Road Policing Unit*Traffic Guard*Sri Lankan Traffic Police*Municipal police...
force is for managing traffic. In Punjab a counterterror unit eliteforce
Elite Police
The Elite Punjab Police, also known as the "Elite Force" or "Police Commandos", is a branch of the Punjab Police specializing in Counter-Terrorist operations and VIP security duties, as well as acting against serious crime and performing high-risk operations which can't be carried out by the...
was created in 1998.
Perú
The national policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
force in Perú
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
is called Policía Nacional del Perú or PNP (official site, in Spanish). They are the state police force, but serve many of the same roles in the cities that local police forces assume in other countries, such as traffic control
Traffic control
Road traffic control involves directing vehicular and pedestrian traffic around a construction zone, accident or other road disruption, thus ensuring the safety of emergency response teams, construction workers and the general public....
at intersections. Peruvian cities (or Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
-area districts) each have their own Serenazgo forces, which perform patrol duties like a neighborhood watch
Neighborhood watch
A neighborhood watch or neighbourhood watch , also called a crime watch or neighborhood crime watch, is an organized group of citizens devoted to crime and vandalism prevention within a neighborhood...
and call upon the PNP as needed. There is more information for tourists on how to deal with the Peruvian police forces if necessary in the wikitravel page on Perú.
Philippines
Law enforcement in the Philippines is usually handled by two primary agencies, either by the Philippine National PolicePhilippine National Police
The Philippine National Police is the national police force of the Republic of the Philippines. It is both a national and a local police force in that it does provides all law enforcement services throughout the Philippines...
(PNP) or by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Neighborhood policing is done by the local community police, or barangay police. Some areas frequented by foreigners have tourism police officers.
Poland
- PolicjaPolicjaPolicja is the generic name for the police in Poland. The Polish police force was known as policja throughout the Second Polish Republic , and in modern post-communist Republic of Poland since 1990. Its current size is 103.309 officers and ca. 12.000 civilian employees...
(National Police paid from the state budget). - Straż miejskaStraz miejskaStraż miejska is the name given to the separate municipal police forces maintained by some Polish cities. They operate in conjunction with the Policja .The City Guards' uniforms and livery of the squad cars varies by city....
(City guard, an auxiliaryAuxiliary policeAuxiliary police or special constables in England) are usually the part-time reserves of a regular police force. They may be armed or unarmed. They may be unpaid volunteers or paid members of the police service with which they are affiliated...
quasi-police service paid from the municipal budget of wealthier cities. Sizes of local forces vary and officers have only limited law-enforcement powers, such as traffic enforcement; they cannot make arrests and must call on the national police to handle serious problems). - Straż granicznaBorder Guard (Poland)Border Guard is a Polish state security agency tasked with patrol of the Polish border. It existed in the Second Polish Republic from 1928 to 1939 and was recreated in Third Polish Republic in 1990.- 1928-1939 :...
(Border Guard, polish border patrol can act like the Policja near the Polish border). - Żandarmeria WojskowaMilitary GendarmerieThe Military Gendarmerie is a military provost formation created in 1990 in Poland.-History:Polish military police traces its history to the communist era Military Internal Service , World War II-era Service for Protection of the Uprising , interwar-era military police in the Second Polish Republic,...
(Military Gendarmerie, polish military police).
Portugal
There are three main police forces in PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
:
- Polícia de Segurança PúblicaPolícia de Segurança PúblicaThe Polícia de Segurança Pública - PSP is the Portuguese police force that works in large urban areas. Rural towns and areas are under the protection of the Portuguese Republican National Guard...
(PSP - Public Security Police) - a civil uniformed police, responsible mainly for the policing in the large urban areas; - Guarda Nacional RepublicanaPortuguese National Republican GuardThe Portuguese National Republican Guard is the gendarmerie of Portugal. Members of the GNR are soldiers, who, unlike the agents of the Public Security Police , are subject to military law and organisation...
(GNR - Republican National Guard) - a gendarmerie type force, that works mainly in the countryside and small towns; - Polícia JudiciáriaPolícia JudiciáriaThe Polícia Judiciária is the main police branch of criminal investigation in Portugal, dedicated to fighting criminality, organized crime, terrorism, drugs, corruption and financial crimes...
(PJ - Judiciary Police) - responsible for the major criminal investigations.
There are also other smaller specialized police services, like the Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica (ASAE - Food and Economic Safety Authority), the Polícia Marítima (Maritime Police), the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF - Foreign and Border Service) and the polícias municipais (municipal polices).
Russia
The police in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
are called милиция (militsiya
Militsiya
Militsiya or militia is used as an official name of the civilian police in several former communist states, despite its original military connotation...
). This change of name started at the Russian Revolution
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
via a Communist political idea of "replacing the capitalist
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
police by a people's militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
"; but the name "militsiya" has persisted after the Communist system collapsed.
The standard Russian police baton
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
is made of rubber. In some areas however wooden batons are used because the winter cold makes rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
brittle
Brittle
A material is brittle if, when subjected to stress, it breaks without significant deformation . Brittle materials absorb relatively little energy prior to fracture, even those of high strength. Breaking is often accompanied by a snapping sound. Brittle materials include most ceramics and glasses ...
. The normal service uniform is grey with red piping and hat band. Fur hats and heavy greatcoats are worn in winter.
Singapore
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
(Abbreviation: SPF) is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police.
Slovenia
Law enforcement in SloveniaLaw enforcement in Slovenia
Law enforcement in Slovenia is governed by the Slovenian Ministry of Internal Affairs and is the responsibility of the Slovenian National Police force, which is composed of the 8 police directorates in Celje, Koper, Kranj, Ljubljana, Maribor, Murska Sobota, Nova Gorica and Novo mesto...
is the responsibility of the Slovenian National Police force, which is composed of 11 police directorates.
South Africa
The South African Police ServiceSouth African Police Service
The South African Police Service is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1116 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in each province...
is responsible for providing policing services to the public of South Africa at 1115 police stations, divided across nine provinces.
Spain
Policing in Spain is carried out by a combination of national, regional and local bodies.Sri Lanka
The national police service in Sri Lanka is Sri Lanka Police. The elite Police Counter-Terrorist force the Special Task ForceSpecial Task Force
The Special Task Force is an elite special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Police Service specializing in Counter-Terrorist and Counter-Insurgency operations. It was formed in 1983 not as a military force but rather as a highly specialised police unit...
has taken security duties around the island.
Sweden
The police in SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
: Polisen) is a national police force under the Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Justice (Sweden)
The Ministry of Justice is a Cabinet level ministry in the Government of Sweden with responsibility for legislation. The ministry is responsible for the Swedish legal system in Constitution and general administrative law, civil law, procedural law and criminal law...
. It is divided into the National Police Board (Rikspolisstyrelsen) and 21 regional police departments corresponding to the Counties of Sweden
Counties of Sweden
The Counties of Sweden are the first level administrative and political subdivisions of Sweden. Sweden is divided into 21 counties. The counties were established in 1634 on Count Axel Oxenstierna's initiative, superseding the historical provinces of Sweden to introduce a modern administration...
. The National Police Board is divided into the National Criminal Investigation Department (Rikskriminalpolisen) and SÄPO
SAPO
SAPO , Servidor de Apontadores Portugueses, is a brand and subsidiary company of the Portugal Telecom Group...
, or Säkerhetspolisen, the Swedish Security Service
Intelligence agency
An intelligence agency is a governmental agency that is devoted to information gathering for purposes of national security and defence. Means of information gathering may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis, cooperation with other institutions, and evaluation of public...
.
The police officers are always armed with a 9 mm Sig Sauer handgun, a telescopic baton and a can of pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
.
Switzerland
The police in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
is mainly the responsibility of the 26 cantons, although both federal and local police forces also exist.
Taiwan (Republic of China)
The TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese police is a national police force. It has an elite
Elite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
unit known as the Thunder Squad
Thunder Squad
Thunder Squad is the nickname of Wei-An Special Services Unit of Taiwan's National Police Agency, a highly trained SWAT counter-terrorism Special Forces tactical unit established in 1985 to conduct high-risk arrests and other dangerous law enforcement duties...
. It is trained for dealing with dangerous and high-risk missions, as well as counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
due to the potential military threat from the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Thailand
The Royal ThaiThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
Police are subdivided into several region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
s and services, each enjoying their own powers.
- Crime Suppression Division, Thai FBI
- ImmigrationImmigrationImmigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
- Traffic policeTraffic policeTraffic police or Traffic cops may refer to:*Police controlling traffic, see rules of the road*Traffic Cops, a BBC real-life documentary*Highway patrol*Road Policing Unit*Traffic Guard*Sri Lankan Traffic Police*Municipal police...
Turkey
Law enforcement is Turkey is carried out by five separate bodies. The Turkish National Police is the civilian police, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the Turkish Armed ForcesTurkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of Turkey. They consist of the Army, the Navy , and the Air Force...
responsible only for policing the civilian population. Provost
Provost (military police)
Provosts are military police whose duties are policing solely within the Armed Forces, as opposed to Gendarmerie duties in the civilian population. However, many countries use their gendarmerie for provost duties....
services are provided by the Military Police . The Turkish Coast Guard
Turkish Coast Guard
The Turkish Coast Guard is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces and was established in 1859.-Organization:...
is also branch of the Armed Forces, responsible for search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
and maritime
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
border protection
Border guard
The border guard, frontier guard, border patrol, border police, or frontier police of a country is a national security agency that performs border control, i.e., enforces the security of the country's national borders....
. The National Intelligence Organization
National Intelligence Organization
The National Intelligence Organization is the governmental intelligence organization of Turkey. It was established in 1965 to replace the National Security Service....
is responsible for internal security. Some limited local law enforcement is carried out by village guards
Village guard system
Village guards ) are paramilitaries. Originally they were set up and funded by the Turkish state in the mid-1980s under the direction of Turgut Özal. Their stated purpose was to act as a local militia in towns and villages, protecting against attacks and reprisals from the insurgents, terrorists...
.
Vietnam
The police force in VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
is called the People's Police
People's Police of Vietnam
People's Public Security of Vietnam is the main police force of Vietnam.This force was created on August 19, 1945.-Functions:The People's Police of Vietnam prevents and investigates crime, as well as traffic control and other duties.-Branches:...
. It answers to the Ministry of Public Security
Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam
Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam is the ministry of the interior of Vietnam. It was established with the help of former Soviet Union and China, and in addition to the regular police officer corps, it also administer the Public Security forces, which is the paramilitary force with primary...
.
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is carried out by the 52 territorial police forces, each of which covers a 'police area' (a particular region) and has an independent police authority
Police authority
A police authority in the United Kingdom, is a body charged with securing efficient and effective policing of a police area served by a territorial police force or the area and/or activity policed by a special police force...
. These forces have their grounding in the Police Act 1996
Police Act 1996
The Police Act 1996 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which defined the current police areas, constituted the current police authorities and set out the relationship between the Home Secretary and the territorial police forces. It replaced the Police and Magistrates Courts Act...
, which prescribes a number of issues such as appointment of a Chief Constable
Chief Constable
Chief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
, jurisdiction and responsibilities.
There are also four special police forces that have a specific, non-regional jurisdiction - the British Transport Police
British Transport Police
The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
, Civil Nuclear Constabulary
Civil Nuclear Constabulary
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary is a special police force responsible for providing law enforcement and security at civil nuclear installations, and for nuclear materials in transit, throughout the United Kingdom....
, Ministry of Defence Police
Ministry of Defence Police
The Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the larger government agency, the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency , together with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service...
and Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency.
There are a number of miscellaneous constabularies that have escaped police reform, mostly having their foundations in old legislation. These have a responsibility to police specific local areas, such as ports and parks.
Lastly, there are a number of government bodies that are not police forces but still enforce laws. People employed by these bodies, such as the Marine and Fisheries Agency and UK Border Agency
UK Border Agency
The UK Border Agency is the border control body of the United Kingdom government and part of the Home Office. It was formed on 1 April 2008 by a merger of the Border and Immigration Agency , UKvisas and the Detection functions of HM Revenue and Customs...
, enjoy limited powers of detention and search, but generally cannot make full arrests.
Over the centuries there has been a wide variation in the number of police forces in the United Kingdom, with a large number now no longer in existence. See List of former police forces in the United Kingdom for these. With the exception of the Ministry of Defence Police
Ministry of Defence Police
The Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the larger government agency, the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency , together with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service...
, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary
Civil Nuclear Constabulary
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary is a special police force responsible for providing law enforcement and security at civil nuclear installations, and for nuclear materials in transit, throughout the United Kingdom....
and the Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
the majority of British police are never routinely armed, relying on an extendable baton
Baton (law enforcement)
A truncheon or baton is essentially a club of less than arm's length made of wood, plastic, or metal...
instead and special armed units are called in only when necessary. Uniquely in Britain, there are police forces of Crown Dependencies such as the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
and States of Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
& Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
, who have police forces that share resources with the UK police, whilst having a separate administration within their own governments.
United States
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
and other federal agencies such as the United States Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
, US Marshals
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
, United States Park Police
United States Park Police
The United States Park Police is one of the oldest uniformed federal law enforcement agencies in the United States. It functions as a full service law enforcement agency with responsibilities and jurisdiction in those National Park Service areas primarily located in the Washington, D.C., San...
, United States Capitol Police
United States Capitol Police
The United States Capitol Police is a federal police force charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its territories.-History:...
, and the United States Pentagon Police
United States Pentagon Police
The United States Pentagon Police is the federal police force of the Secretary of Defense. The mission of the USPPD is to promote high quality law enforcement and security services, in order to provide a safe and orderly work environment for the Department of Defense in the National...
are limited to the enforcement of federal laws and usually specialize in certain crimes or duties, but do enforce some state laws. Most crimes constitutionally fall under the jurisdiction of state police
State police
State police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canadian provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national...
or the thousands of local police forces. These include county police
County police
County police are the police of a county in the United States, Sweden and England .- Sweden :All of the 21 Counties of Sweden contains a County Police Department of the Swedish Police Service.-United Kingdom:...
or sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
's departments as well as municipal or city police forces. Many areas also have special
Special police
Special Police does not have a consistent international meaning. In many cases it will describe a police force or a unit within a police force whose duties and responsibilities are significantly different from other forces in the same country or significantly different from other police in the same...
agencies such as campus police, railroad police, housing police, or a district or precinct constable.